


New Friend for the New Year

by asimplewalk



Series: Prompt Jar [7]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, New Year's Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-06
Updated: 2015-03-06
Packaged: 2018-03-16 15:02:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3492755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asimplewalk/pseuds/asimplewalk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky is making a lot of progress in coming away from the Winter Soldier conditioning, and Darcy gives him back a little more of that humanity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Friend for the New Year

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt that landed in my askbox on [tumblr](http://www.crownsandashes.tumblr.com/): "Prompt: BuckyxDarcy New years kiss" which, I don't know why I couldn't do something simple and cute. Have this instead. <3
> 
> Unbeta'd. /shrug

New years eve dawns bright and cold. Bucky rolls over and snuggles down into his sheets, the thick weight of his blanket heavy on him. The soft sound of jazz is playing from Steve's room down the hall. He stays where he is, knowing that as it is a holiday, the others aren't going to harass him into working out or getting up. So he enjoys himself and savors the warmth and comfort. Sure, the mattress is stiff. But it was still cloudlike in comparison to the floor or the frigid, rigid lines of cryo. And he appreciates that Sam had found the weighted blanket. 

He leaves the pillow over his head until he absolutely has to get up to relieve himself. He discovers that it's about noon when he finally does get up. Steve has left, and the music isn't playing through their floor anymore. Sam isn't in his room. When it proves that there isn't _anyone_ is around, Bucky feels a little freer to do as he pleases. If there is no one to watch, there isn't anyone to disapprove or to give orders or to accidentally hurt. 

So he shuffles through the collection of music that Steve and Sam have accumulated. JARVIS reads his gestures and expressions and helps him to decide that the Avenue Q soundtrack isn't something he wants to hear, but that maybe he could try listening to RENT. When he decides he’s not terribly fond of it, halfway through sweeping the floors of... well, the floor, he makes another motion to convey 'you pick' to the AI, which had turned over a lot of interesting results. The stereo turned over and played through several tracks of 90s rap, Lindsey Stirling, Ellie Goulding, The Civil Wars, and something JARVIS informed him was called dubstep. That one was cut off quickly but replaced by something softer, more pop and whimsical- ' _It is a style of music called chillstep. It is evidently a less grating alternative to the previous track we tried._ ' The soldier was kneeling next to a bucket, wet rag in his human hand, held up the cybernetic one in an 'ok' at the ceiling, indicating very simply his desire to follow this choice in music. 

An album (ODESZA's In Return, he's told) later, several similar artists are queued for exam when Bucky stops for food. He eats when he gets hungry, which is far less often than Steve. But they assure him that the fact that he notices when he is and makes the choice to eat are both good. He chooses protein and fiber and starch (leftover pulled pork and broccoli on rotini) and pokes around the pantry while it heats. He decides to try one of the novelty sodas that Steve gets, pops the cap off of the glass bottle and takes a sip of the bright green, fizzy liquid. The taste of melon is striking and he stares for a moment at the drink before smiling. He'll have to share that with the others, because he likes it. 

Food and drink handled, he looks around. It is nearly three in the afternoon, and floors handled and no immediate dangers for the team to handle, he is still free. Free time is something that Bucky is still learning to handle. He tries to use it to be productive. It has meant a lot of cleaning, learning to do things like knitting and sewing, and on one memorable occasion (that he'd expected punishment for failing) had tried organizing the books, movies, and music alphabetically by genre. So, since dusting the day before, he really only had one option: laundry. 

Bucky gathered everything up into the hampers, dragged them to the closet containing the washer, and set about sorting them. JARVIS had, in his own way, become very important to Bucky as he could track things like desires, displeasures, biometrics, and importantly: external environmental factors. Which led him to leave the first load of laundry to go through the wash cycles and investigate the ' _Distressed young lady in the elevator as she has stopped it at approximately your floor. I believe she may need some quiet human company._ ' 

Which worked fine for him, since he didn't talk. (Another choice that everyone was supportive of.) He went to the doors and peeked around the opening the AI had made. There was indeed a woman there, and she was sniffling softly in the not-quite-floor-level car. When she noticed that she was being watched, she blushed and looked down. When it became apparent to her that he wasn't going to speak first (which, who was she that she had clearance to get up this far, but not know who and what and how he is on sight) she looks up again and giggles a little at the still entirely blank expression on his face as his body is tipped sideways at the hip to look in at her. The AI moves the elevator very slowly to rest fully at his floor, doors opening the rest of the way.

"You must think I'm bonkers, sitting crying in an elevator." She motions around and sighs. "J, buddy, I told you I would be okay. You didn't need to bring me to Cap's pretty counselor friend."  
Bucky shakes his head. When she gives him a confused look, he takes a step back and waves with the metal hand. She gives him a surprised look, but doesn't flinch or show any other signs of fear. 

"Oh, I'm sorry. You must be the nonverbal friend. Hi, I'm Darcy." She waves at him, but doesn't move from her spot. "Would you like me to leave?"

He shakes his head. After a few seconds of deliberation, he takes a step back again, looks around the communal area of the quarters. Shrugs. 

"Are you offering for me to join you?" She stays put. He nods. "Is that what you would like?"

Bucky is still careful about people. Is still worried that they are going to want to hurt him, or one of the others he has deemed as necessary. (Steve, Sam, Natalia. Secondarily Pepper.) He holds up his hands to show that he's unarmed. 

"Is this a 'no'?" He shakes his head. "Then are you unsure?" He shakes his head again. The woman sits thinking before seeming to come across an answer for her confusion. She slowly reaches for her purse, slides it to the opening of the elevator. Bucky immediately searches it and checks the taser. It's set for use, but had been tucked away and out of sight. Self defense weapon, not something for aggression. He replaces it in the bag. Looks over three pill bottles that are prescription, but as they aren't of strength that could affect him, he ignores them. Another bottle appears, but they are a mild ibuprofen/antihistamine/diuretic combination marketed for menstruation symptom relief. Settled in that the most dangerous thing is the taser (that, while painful, will not disable him), he slides it back. He wavers for a minute before motioning for her to stand. 

"Go ahead and check. This outfit isn't gonna hide much." She looks down at the large sweater and impeccably tight jeans. While Bucky can think of a lot of places she could hide things, he still doesn't feel compelled to speak up. He puts his arms out, and she smiles gently, mimics the motion. "Like I said, search away. You're so handsome I won't even say anything if you get a little handsy." The tone is one that he associates with teasing. He doesn't like the idea behind it, though, and suddenly feels compelled to keep his hands _very much_ to himself. Steps back, curls in on himself with the flinch. "Whoa, hey, I'm sorry, sweetie. I am so sorry. I didn't mean to imply that you would. I made a really poor choice in jokes." She has that sad frown on her face again and Bucky just wants to take back his reaction. He was supposed to be helping her. 

The soldier straightens himself up, and after a moment of consideration about how to go about it, he steps closer to her, still at arms length though, and gingerly reaches to touch the very tip of his metal hand's pinky to the tip of her nose. 

This makes her giggle. It is a clearly happy noise, and he feels at least a little accomplished. He smiles back. It isn't something he does a whole lot of, but its small and genuine and there. And that makes her grin get bigger. 

"May I ask what you were up to?" She asks, looking around. Bucky has to fight the urge to simply spit out a report. She had asked to ask something. The redundancy is unnecessary, so he ignores it. He turns and goes back to the washer and checks the timer. It still has to finish it's spin cycle, so he stands, amidst piles of clothes, and shrugs at her.

"Do you sign?" He nods. "So you choose not to?" Another nod. "Well, would you like some help with anything?" He has to think for a moment. Steve and Sam have Stark's party. They will not be eating at the apartment, and will be returning at a late but undisclosed time. No need to prepare food. The last of the chores had been laundry. The cabinets are Sam's domain, so Bucky doesn't touch them, after seeing Steve get reprimanded with a spoon by the airman. 

She, Darcy, waits patiently, even as her eyes roam the apartment. She is humming and slowly bopping in place, seeming not to realize that she is doing it. Slight bend and straightening at the knees, in time with whatever melody only she is hearing. 

Bucky decides that he would like to watch the picture special about crocodiles again. He takes the time to turn the laundry over to the dryer and start a new load. He taps the washer and dryer doors and makes a little wave at the ceiling. JARVIS immediately responds with, ' _I shall notify you of the need for their turning, Bucky._ " The name is superfluous information, but stated for a reason. He feels a pang in his gut. A social mistake. He had not introduced himself to her. Had not followed a protocol.

"So, what would you like for us to do while we wait?" She doesn't seem bothered or angry, so he carefully edges past her to find the clicker. He gets the documentary queued and looks to her.

"Oh, I saw this while I was browsing. Mummies won out that afternoon, so this is great!" She smiles at him. "Do you have anything you need?"

He shifts about before taking a little risk. So far, she seems open and accepting of all the little things of his that are out of sync with the median social conduct. So he goes and gets the weighted comforter off of his bed, and one of the spare afghans from the hall closet and brings them over. Wavers for a moment unsure before fetching two glasses of water. He hands one off to her before he gets settled, tucked in a ball and burritoed into his blanket. She’s got the other folded in half and draped over her crossed legs and is watching him with a small smile. 

They spend the afternoon working through crocodile documentaries. Because ‘there’s no reason not to’ and ‘Jane called my day a wash after that shit’ and he doesn’t really get an explanation for why she had been upset. Between all of it, they work through the piles of laundry and fold it all up. It gets piled on the other couch, and when it’s all done, they pause the marathon so that he can put it all away and she can make them something to eat.

He tentatively tries the food and despite it looking somewhat spicy, it’s wonderfully mild. She calls them enchiladas and, like Steve, loads hot sauce onto her food. 

They return to the couch, and she offers to let him settle against her. He’s surprised but takes the offered contact. Now, she’s keeping up a steady stream and has taken control of the remote in favor of sharing a special about a gigantic prehistoric snake (which had been inspired by the Sarcosuchus special they had watched last). 

She’s playing with his hair and chattering softly on, and he’s watching her more than the screen because she can’t look when the huge cgi serpent is on screen and he finds it amusing. Her phone beeps and she looks surprised at it. “Oh, holy sh-crap. It’s a quarter 'til the new year!” She smiles down at him. “Glad I could spend the last of this one with you.”

Bucky frowns up at her, motions to the elevator and gives her a look that he hopes isn’t sad as well as questioning.

“No, I wasn’t planning on leaving yet. Would you like me to?” She is slowly drawing her fingers across his scalp and it feels so good.

So he shakes his head, but sits up. Settles back a little. 

“Would you like to turn on the ball drop? I think Tony and Pepper are down in Times Square being super cute for the cameras this year.” She has been quiet and gentle with him, even though, the more he hears her talk about her day and her opinions and little things that are sparked by whatever is on the screen, that she is naturally very vibrant and loud and expressive. He’s managed to determine that she’s the PR girl that often helps corral Stark and Doctor Banner and Doctor Foster and be there to say ‘Tony, no.’ when Pepper isn’t. 

He makes a little motion towards the ceiling and it switches immediately to the footage. 

“Awesome! I would have ended up having to surf for it otherwise. I can never remember which of the channels are which.” She looks over at him after a moment. “Just so we’re clear, you didn’t have to get off of me. But if you are happy there, that’s what is important.”

The next few moments are spent listening to the couple that own the Tower they live in playing up and bantering and winding up the crowd, the announcer and celebrities around them paling in comparison. Pepper is clearly pinching Tony’s side on screen, as a warning not to share some of the resolutions she has probably already anticipated and deemed ridiculous. And then the one-minute counter starts in the screen, an Bucky suddenly remembers one of the traditions of New Year's Eve, and feels a little strange. 

He can remember kissing exactly three people at midnight - his sister Becky, Steve, and Dugan (which had happened twice during the war). And he doesn’t know if Darcy is expecting the gesture, or even participates in it. And then he hears her quietly counting down from twenty. When the clock hits midnight and the ball drops, he reaches to knock on the wooden coffee table before turning and leaning in to press a small kiss on her cheek.

And his lips meet hers instead. 

She pulls back immediately, giggles, and swoops in to press a second to his cheek. “Wow, hi there. I’m sorry, Bucky. I think we had the same plan.”

He smiles and leans in a little, and with more bravery than he thought he could have, presses his lips to hers. She doesn’t stop him, doesn’t pull away, doesn’t make a move like she’s going to keep him there, but the little pressure of her kissing back is nice.

She rests their foreheads together when they part, and shushes him. He realizes after a moment that he’s shivering, and that the little whine is coming from him. “Did I make you uncomfortable?” Her voice is a whisper. He shakes his head minutely.

“Are you worried that you did something wrong?” He nods.

“Is this the most contact you’ve had with another person since you came back?” He makes a little so-so gesture with his left hand, because the right is shaking where his fingers are laced with hers. 

“Did you want to kiss me?” He can feel that blush creep up his cheeks, down his throat and burn his ears. But he nods.

“It was very nice. And I’m happy to let you do it again and again as long as you want. And if I change my mind, I will tell you. But you aren’t ever going to be in trouble for it. Okay?” This information is a pleasant surprise. 

He searches her eyes for a moment. Her face is as open and genuine as ever. When he deems her as honest in this, he leans in and kisses her again before settling back down, curled under the blanket, with his head in her lap.

“So, more Titanoboa?” Bucky nods, and Darcy curls minutely so that she’s tucked around his shoulders as the AI switches their screen back to Netflix.


End file.
